Uptown Park gelato shop Rocambolesc, which created employment opportunities for neurodivergent Houstonians, has closed after four-plus years in Houston.
The business made the announcement on social media, saying its lease had come to an end and the partnership with the Roca brothers of world-famous El Celler de Can Roca in Spain had concluded. It was an extension of the original location in Girona, Spain, and the only Rocambolesc in the United States. The gelateria was backed by Houston billionaire Ignacio Torras.
Rocambolesc opened here in 2022 with five neurodiverse employees. It was a public benefit corporation, meaning a business with a mission, which was to employee neurodiverse individuals to show them a pathway to independence. In the post, the shop said its mission succeeded, while the business itself did not.
“The financial challenges were never a reflection of inclusion or the extraordinary people behind Rocambolesc,” the post read.
The shop inspired the creation of the Genuine Foundation, which works to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through employment, advocacy and sports. And then the creation of the Genuine Cup, a soccer tournament for adults with disabilities.
“Rocambolesc was never the destination; it was the spark that ignited something much bigger. It allowed us to impact not just five employees, but thousands of individuals and families in the IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) community,” the post read.
